Re-Drafting The 1996 NBA Draft: Philadelphia 76ers Would Select 17-Year-Old Kobe Bryant

The 1996 NBA Draft Class is regarded as one of the greatest and most talented draft classes in NBA history. The class produced 10 different All-Stars and three MVPs, as well as a host of other elite role players and skilled specialists. Of course, the big names like Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson stand out but the 1996 draft class also features other big names in the history of the league. This re-draft will place each one of these stars on a different career path but based on the players we have come to know and love as they were in their NBA careers already. 

The re-draft of the 1996 NBA Draft class will be similar to what we did for both 2017 and 2009. We will select the best player available to see if that player would change the trajectory of the team that selects them today. Would adding a great player such as Kobe Bryant at the top of the draft fit well enough to produce championships? Will the role players added with the later picks move the needle for their new squads? These are the questions we will answer through this process.

This is the re-drafting of the 1996 NBA Draft Class.

1. Philadelphia 76ers

Original Pick: Allen Iverson

Re-Draft Pick: Kobe Bryant

The Philadelphia 76ers originally drafted the second-greatest shooting guard from this draft class back in 1996 and now end up with the second-greatest shooting guard of all time. Coming straight out of Lower Merion High School In Pennsylvania, 17-year-old Kobe Bryant would play his professional basketball with his hometown team in a perfect world. What better way to spend your NBA career than delivering championships to the team with whom you shared a city throughout your high school career? It took Bryant a few seasons to get his bearings and become a full-time starter with the Lakers from 1996 thru 1998. Once he did, the Lakers became true NBA contenders as he went on to help lead them to five NBA championships with two Finals MVP awards and one MVP award. Bryant became an icon for an entire generation of basketball fans, and the 76ers would undoubtedly select him first overall in a re-draft. Bryant would surely deliver a championship to Philadelphia at one point in his career. Maybe not in 2001, when the Lakers defeated Iverson’s Sixers in five games, but any other year is a near-certainty.

2. Toronto Raptors

Original Pick: Marcus Camby

Re-Draft Pick: Steve Nash

With the second overall pick in the 1996 re-draft, the Raptors bring in the best point guard in the 1996 draft and one of the best playmakers of all time. Steve Nash returns to Canada to back up Damon Stoudamire as he adjusts to life in the NBA, just as he did with the Suns for the first two seasons of his career. Nash would become an All-Star by 2002 and most likely their starting point guard unless they used him for trade capital just as the Suns did. Nash would go on to become a two-time MVP in the NBA but does anyone in Toronto unlock Nash’s powers just as Mike D’Antoni did in Phoenix during the 2000s? Regardless, Nash is the selection as one of the smartest and most efficient basketball players to ever play the point guard position.

3. Vancouver Grizzlies

Original Pick: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

Re-Draft Pick: Allen Iverson

The Vancouver Grizzlies luck out in a way with the drafting of Allen Iverson at the third overall draft spot. Iverson is one of the most elite scorers ever and has a case to be considered a top-five shooting guard in NBA history. Offensively, this would have given the Grizzlies their best weapon as long as they built around him just as the 76ers did. Iverson will certainly help Vancouver win games with his elite scoring ability and fearless attack on the basket that led to four NBA scoring titles. Would the supporting cast of Bryant Reeves and Anthony Peeler have been enough? Probably not, but certainly they win more than 14 games in 1997, right?

4. Milwaukee Bucks

Original Pick: Stephon Marbury

Re-Draft Pick: Ray Allen

In any world, the Milwaukee Bucks go out and draft a guy they really wanted all along in Ray Allen. They made a deal with the Timberwolves to acquire him on the draft night anyway, so we have pretty much seen how this selection pans out. Allen would go on to become a three-time All-Star in Milwaukee averaging 21.5 PPG or better from 2000 thru 2002. Allen would later become an All-Star with the Seattle SuperSonics after the Bucks traded him for Desmond Mason and Gary Payton. Allen would be instrumental on two different championship teams in his career as well, the 2008 Celtics and 2013 Miami Heat. Allen most likely would have never been dealt by Milwaukee if they could go back and do it all over again.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves

Original Pick: Ray Allen

Re-Draft Pick: Ben Wallace

Technically, Wallace went undrafted in the 1996 NBA Draft but signed with the Washington Bullets as a free agent weeks later. Wallace would be the perfect selection for a team that already boasted Kevin Garnett at power forward. With the trade for Marbury on draft night, the Timberwolves could not foresee the damage that would cause in the future. With Wallace, you may have to wait for him to develop for a few seasons, but once he does, Minnesota would have the best defensive frontcourt in basketball. Wallace anchored the 2004 NBA champion Pistons teams and led their defense to a number one ranking in the league. With four Defensive Player of the Year awards for Wallace and an MVP in Garnett, the Timberwolves may be NBA champions by now.

6. Boston Celtics

Original Pick: Antoine Walker

Re-Draft Pick: Jermaine O’Neal

Originally the Celtics selected fan-favorite and infamous shot-chucker Antoine Walker. In the re-draft, they decide to go with Jermaine O’Neal who began his career with Portland but didn’t really blossom until he was traded to Indiana. At his peak, O’Neal was one of the best two-way players in the game who was good for 20.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 2.0 BPG. O’Neal would earn six straight selections to the NBA All-Star Game from 2002 thru 2007. His presence would have been a welcomed sight for Boston, whose interior defense was certainly lacking in the late 90s and early 2000s.

7. Los Angeles Clippers

Original Pick: Lorenzen Wright

Re-Draft Pick: Peja Stojakovic

The Los Angeles Clippers have a long record of draft mistakes in their team history and Lorenzen Wright is another that can be added to that list. In their re-draft, the Clippers get sharpshooter and certified scorer Peja Stojakovic instead. Stojakovic was a career 40.1% three-point shooter who at his peak, was a 20.0 PPG scorer who could secure 5.0 rebounds as well. Stojakovic would have provided the Clippers with much-needed elite scoring from all three levels on offense but even Peja probably doesn’t turn their championship misfortune around.

8. New Jersey Nets

Original Pick: Kerry Kittles

Re-Draft Pick: Stephon Marbury

Based on pure skill, Stephon Marbury is one of the most talented point guards in NBA history. Instead of acquiring him a little later in his NBA career, the nets select him eighth overall in our re-draft. Grabbing Marbury two years earlier than originally probably doesn’t move the Nets’ needle much but it would have given Marbury an easier path to begin his career which may have changed his attitude some. Marbury would become a two-time All-Star with the Nets and Suns. Between 1999 and 2005, Marbury averaged 21.7 PPG, 8.3 APG, and 1.3 SPG for four different teams.

9. Dallas Mavericks

Original Pick: Samaki Walker

Re-Draft Pick: Antoine Walker

The Dallas Mavericks get the ninth overall selection in our 1996 re-draft and this time they will still select a Walker but with the first name Antoine instead of Samaki. Despite being known for never meeting a shot he didn’t like to take, Walker carved out a nice career in the NBA over the course of 12 seasons. He was an All-Star by his second season with Boston and averaged 17.5 PPG and 7.7 RPG for his career. He played a pivotal role off the bench for the Miami Heat in 2006 when they won the NBA championship and was a 22.0-23.0 PPG scorer at his peak. The Mavericks would have gladly made this swap of professional Walkers.

10. Indiana Pacers

Original Pick: Erick Dampier

Re-Draft Pick: Zydrunas Ilgauskas

The Indiana Pacers decided to go with big man Erick Dampier back in 1996 with the 10th overall pick. This time, they end up with a slightly more talented center in Zydrunas Ilaguskas in our re-draft. Ilhauskas was a solid starter at the center position who struggled with foot injuries that cost him two of his first four seasons in the NBA. Once healthy, he reached a peak that included 16.9 PPG and over 8.0 RPG as well as over 1.0 BPG. Ilgauskas was critical as LeBron James’ Cavaliers team that went to the 2007 NBA Finals and became a two-time All-Star in Cleveland over the years. The Pacers would have gladly dealt with the early injuries and allowed Ilgauskas to become a key piece of their team by 2000.

11. Golden State Warriors

Original Pick: Todd Fuller

Re-Draft Pick: Marcus Camby

Most of any players left on the draft board from 1996 would have been better than Golden State’s original pick, Todd Fuller. Here, they get a former Defensive Player of the Year in Marcus Camby, who ended up being a serious contribution to great teams such as the late 90s/early 2000s Knicks and mid-2000s Nuggets. Camby would be selected to four All-Defensive Teams and won a total of four blocks titles in his 17-year career. In his 2007 Defensive Player of the Year season, Camby averaged 11.2 PPG, 11.7 RPG, and 3.3 BPG on the year. He would have been a stellar piece added to Golden State’s core at the time.

12. Cleveland Cavaliers

Original Pick: Vitaly Potapenko

Re-Draft Pick: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

The Cavaliers become a beneficiary of the re-draft process with a big upgrade from Vitaly Potapenko to Sharee Abdur-Rahim. Shareef was outstanding almost straight away in his NBA career and became a 20.0 PPG scorer in his second season. He would be an All-Star in 2002 and an 18.1 PPG scorer for his career. Of course, the short end of the stick is that he was oft-injured by 2003-04 and was never the same once they started occurring. Still, I think any team trying to compete for a championship would have been ok with his 20.7 PPG in the seven seasons prior to that.

13. Charlotte Hornets

Original Pick: Kobe Bryant

Re-Draft Pick: Derek Fisher

The Charlotte Hornets probably suffered the largest dropoff in draft picks as they saw Kobe Bryant, who was ultimately traded for Vlade Divac, go first overall instead of falling to 13th originally. Instead, they select another Laker great who although extremely impactful in numerous NBA championships, wasn’t nearly the contributor Bryant or Divac was. Fisher would win five NBA titles total with the Lakers in his career, including four as the starting point guard. Fisher would have been a solid selection for any team drafting in the Top 15 picks of the 1996 NBA Draft.

14. Sacramento Kings

Original Pick: Peja Stojakovic

Re-Draft Pick: Kerry Kittles

The Sacramento Kings will also suffer a slight downgrade in their re-draft but not because they are getting an untalented player. Kerry Kittles was a star coming out of Villanova University and immediately made an impact on the New Jersey Nets with over 16.0 PPG in his rookie season. He would average over 17.0 PPG in his second season and at least 12.9 PPG over the next two seasons. Kittles would suffer a knee injury that cost him the entire 2001 season, and only remained in the NBA for four seasons following the injury. Kittle retired at 30 years old, but maybe things end up a bit differently if he fell to Sacramento with the 14th pick. 

15. Phoenix Suns

Original Pick: Steve Nash

Re-Draft Pick: Erick Dampier

The Phoenix Suns also end up with a downgrade with their draft selection, even though Phoenix would not benefit from Nash’s performance until much later in his career. Instead, the Suns select Erick Dampier halfway through the 1996 re-draft. Dampier was a 16-year veteran of the NBA and played for five different teams over that time. Dampier was a solid interior defender who could occasionally put up consistent numbers offensively but never on a truly consistent basis. Dampier’s longevity is spectacular when you look at some of the other names from this draft, and his durability was great for his size.

16. Chicago Bulls

Original Pick: Tony Delk

Re-Draft Pick: Jeff McInnis

The Chicago Bulls come in with the 16th pick coming off a record-setting 72-10 season. It didn’t much matter to them who was selected here as they went on to win NBA championships in 1997 and 1998 behind the core they had already built with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman. In the re-draft, the Bulls will end up selecting Keff McInnis with the 16th pick, a point guard/shooting guard out of UNC, Jordan’s alma mater. McInnis would have a solid few seasons in the NBA, especially in 2002 with the Clippers when he averaged 14.6 PPG in 80 starts. Who knows what he could have done under the tutelage of the greatest player of all time?

17. Portland Trail Blazers

Original Pick: Jermaine O’Neal

Re-Draft Pick: Lorenzen Wright

The Portland Trail Blazers’ selection of Jermaine O’Neal went to waste in 1996 as they ended up misusing his skill set completely and trading him four seasons later. In our re-draft, O’Neal went in the Top 10 while Portland will have to settle for Lorenzen Wright who was the seventh overall pick in 1996. Wright was a solid defender and decent scorer for a good chunk of his career before suffering a drop-off in 2006. With the Grizzlies and Hawks from 2001-2003, Wright was a 12.0 PPG scorer and grabbed anywhere from 7.5-9.0 RPG. 

18. New York Knicks

Original Pick: John Wallace

Re-Draft Pick: Jerome Williams

In the final season of his career, Jerome Williams brought some energy to Madison Square Garden in his one and only season with the Knicks. In our 1996 re-draft, the Knicks take Williams with the 18th overall pick as they welcome a scrappy defender and rebounder to their lineup. The Knicks of the 90s were all about toughness and grit, making Williams the perfect selection given the players still remaining on the draft board. Williams would have been a great addition to their squad during their 1999 Finals run that fell short against the Spurs.

19. New York Knicks

Original Pick: Walter McCarty

Re-Draft Pick: Malik Rose

With their second consecutive selection, the Knicks now select another big body who is willing to get physical in the paint in Malik Rose. Rose isn’t someone who is going to light up the scoreboard for New York, but he will be another perfect fit with the physical nature of the Knicks’ playstyle. Rose was a 13-year veteran of the NBA who peaked offensively in 2003 when he averaged 10.4 PPG for the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

20. Cleveland Cavaliers

Original Pick: Zydrunas ilgauskas

Re-Draft Pick: Walter McCarty

The Cavaliers will suffer a blow to their franchise’s future by losing out on Zydrunas Ilgauskas and being forced to select Walter McCarty in his absence. McCarty was a 10-year veteran of the NBA who made appearances with the Celtics, Knicks, Clippers, and Suns in his career. McCarty’s best seasons came with the Celtics from 1998 thru 2004, but even then, the numbers were underwhelming at 5.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.3 APG over that time.

21. New York Knicks

Original Pick: Dontae Jones

Re-Draft Pick: Samaki Walker

With their third pick in four selections, the Knicks see a small upgrade from their original pick, Dontae Jones. This time, the Knicks select Samaki Walker who was originally a Top 10 selection to the Mavericks. Walker will be an okay selection for New York but nothing that will change the course of the franchise. Walker had a 10-year NBA career and, interestingly enough, only ever had a consistent starting job on the 2002 NBA champion Lakers as well as the 2003 team the following season. Maybe the Knicks can pull some of that magic out of the hate from the beginning.

22. Vancouver Grizzlies

Original Pick: Roy Rogers

Re-Draft Pick: Tony Delk

Originally selected by the Bulls much earlier in 1996, Tony Delk falls to Vancouver at the 22nd overall pick in our re-draft. Delk was also a 10-year NBA veteran who moved around a ton during his professional career. He appeared in games for eight different teams in 10 seasons mostly in a backup guard role. At his peak, Delk could contribute 12.3 PPG and 2.0 APG to a team off the bench, but that is the ceiling for the Grizzlies with this selection.

23. Denver Nuggets

Original Pick: Efthimios Rentzias

Re-Draft Pick: Othella Harrington

With the 23rd overall selection for this 1996 re-draft, the Buggets get 6’9’’ big man Othella Harrington. In the early stages of his career, Harrington was a decent two-way player who had two double-digit scoring seasons and at least 6.5 RPG. As his career went on, his offensive output slipped, but he could still provide a small spark when called upon. His best seasons came with the Grizzlies in 2000 and 2001 when he averaged 12.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 126 games.

24. Los Angeles Lakers

Original Pick: Derek Fisher

Re-Draft Pick: Shandon Anderson

Instead of being able to get a core member of five championship teams in their history in Derek Fisher, the Lakers are forced to select Shandon Anderson out of Georgia. Anderson is another player from the 1996 draft class that spent 10 seasons in the NBA through 2006. Anderson was able to enjoy some success in the early 2000s with Houston when he averaged 12.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 82 starts. Other than those two years, Anderson spent most of his career as a role player off the bench and would likely develop better under Phil Jackson in Los Angeles eventually, just as Fisher did.

25. Utah Jazz

Original Pick: Martin Muursepp

Re-Draft Pick: Vitaly Potapenko

The talent pool at the end of this first round is beginning to get a bit thin but we push through the final five picks. With the 25th pick, the Jazz will end up with Vitaly Potapenko, an 11-year veteran center out of Ukraine. Potapenko was decent in his first few seasons in the NBA, with multiple seasons of at least 10.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG. By 2002-03, his stock began to plummet, but he still managed to keep his job until around 2006-07. Potapenko will not be able to move the needle for a Jazz team with championship aspirations.

26. Detroit Pistons

Original Pick: Jerome Williams

Re-Draft Pick: Moochie Norris

Instead of their original selection of the Junkyard Dog, the Pistons will have to settle for Moochie Norris, a point guard from Auburn University. Norris would be yet another player from 1996 with a 10-year NBA career and played for five different teams during that time. Norris spent his entire career as a backup and was decent in his role for the first several years of his career. By 2004, Norris was hardly effective anymore and bounced around numerous times before retiring in 2006.

27. Orlando Magic

Original Pick: Brian Evans

Re-Draft Pick: Travis Knight

At the very end of this draft, the Orlando Magic are stuck with slim pickings as far as talent goes. They end up with Travis Knight, a 7-footer out of UConn. Knight would have two solid first seasons with the Lakers and Celtics, averaging at least 4.8 PPG and 4.5 RPG but quickly deteriorated into obscurity. He would play just five more seasons and retire at the age of 28 in 2003.

28. Atlanta Hawks

Original Pick: Priest Lauderdale

Re-Draft Pick: Todd Fuller

Todd fuller was originally a Top pick of the Warriors in the 1996 draft but fell all the way to the end of the first round in our re-draft. Fuller would play just five seasons in the NBA with four different teams. For his career, Fuller averaged just 3.7 PPG and 3.0 RPG making 23 total starts in his time in the NBA.

29. Chicago Bulls

Original Pick: Travis Knight

Re-Draft Pick: Dontae Jones

The final selection of the first round goes to the defending champion Chicago Bulls once again. At this point, they could spin in a circle blindfolded to make their selection, as all the top talent has already been chosen to play elsewhere. With this pick, Chicago will take Donate Jones, a 6’8’’ small forward who would play just 15 games with the Celtics his rookie season before never stepping foot on the court again. Jones was talented but didn’t pan out, but maybe his trajectory changes if selected by Phil Jackson and the Bulls. 

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